Aethra Esparel
Aethra Esparel, ID code Æ-E, is a DI-LAWS advanced cyborg unit, the fifth in a series of Æ robots that proceed the A Series that includes Aya. In roughly the last fifty years, Aethra has operated in the Typhoon Compass universe, often under the guise of Emilie Archer. Appearance The chief factors that set the Æ series robots apart from their predecessors are the lack of cat-like ears and tails, and this applies to Aethra. She stands tall at 180 cm, matching Arma 's stature and curvy, fit build. Her hair is black by default, with a red shine, a distinct fringe while short and spiked in the back. Her eyes shimmer a silver color. A shift from the structure of the A series, her insides are further humanoid and more integrated with her skin, in order to make for advances on basic functions and more capacity for advanced ones. Normally, Aethra does not wear the regular DI-LAWS uniform, instead dressed in a specific combat suit coloured black and gold, skin-tight in places with cybernetic pieces applied. The devices on her ears allude interestingly to cat or elf ears. Often she has at least two of her Archangel funnels following her in an arrangement like wings. She also often wears glasses; while she doesn't need them to help her vision, they can act as a supplementary HUD utility. When in combat, she trades her glasses for a full-on visor. As Emilie Archer, Aethra shifts her appearance: with control over her fibre-optic hair, it turns a dark brown and is shaped more uniform, a part in the bangs and a short ponytail, like a spiky bun, in the back. Her eyes in this state are amber. She dresses with a vest-like top over tight black t-shirt, bike shorts under a wrap around the waist, arm bands, boots and bracelets. She still wears her frames in this guise. Personality Cool and collected, genial and sometimes reserved. Aethra gets along with those around her, and she has been a foil for Ariel more than once in life, She is all capable at being business-minded, and can take control of dire situations, and in spite of her casual nature she shows stern focus in contact, to the point of growing colder and more ruthless if the battle prolongs itself too far. Aethra presses it upon herself to get the best results out of a chaotic situation, holding herself to high standard as an Æ agent; any less or failure may make Aethra feel personally letdown, potentially shutting her down in depression for a while. Abilities and Weapons Like all the cyborgs and androids built for combat, there is a complex, hyper-advanced interior system, and it's held by a strong, light skeletal frame. This grants Aethra the inherent benefits of extreme strength, durability, stamina and agility. She is an advanced hacker, augmented by her specs. In line more with A-C, she is armed with an array of utilities and armaments, while her principal weapons are the Archangel funnel cannons, which she can remote control all at once. With dual blades mounted to each, this all grants her coverage in long and short range offense alone. Two of the funnels can connect to her back and convert into thrusters, giving her added flight propulsion. Further Utilities The following covers examples of other tools Aethra is equipped with. *'Head' **Fibre-optic hair **Spectral Array vision system and multiple targeting HUD visor **Sonar/echolocation system from the side-fins, emitting ultrasonic waves to acquire accurate layouts of environments. *'Torso' **KALI dual turret (shoulders) **Phantom camouflage system **Zero Manipulator and time-space driver **Vortex energized offensive grapple extensions *'Arms' **Extending energized arm blade (right arm) **Deflector energy barrier system (left arm) *'Legs' **Pleiades scatter-seeker missile array from both thighs **Nimbus smoke-flash disruptor projectiles, fired from the lower legs *'Miscellaneous' **'Hyperion Cannon system - A large energy cannon with orbital capacity, that can synchronize with the Archangel funnels. It is intended to cripple or eliminate entire larger crafts. ''Shinespark'' The '''''Shinespark,' '''specified as a DI-LAWS code 8-39 "Phantom Comet" interceptor, is Aethra's personal dimensionship. Large enough to provide amenities, it is geared for rapid response to locations and events, geared with angled glide panels, Valkyrie thrusters, four ion galvanizer cannons and Pleiades missile launchers, and its Zero Manipulator. It houses a basic DI-LAWS supplementary artificial intelligence named "Dawn", and when Aethra is piloting, she links directly to Dawn and the rest of the ship. The Shinespark has a distinct quarter-moon cockpit window close to the front of the craft, and while there is an underside entrance-exit, it has the capability of launching Aethra right into space out of the cockpit for direct intervention. History After the DI-LAWS A Series was deemed a failure and shelved, the need for Spec-Ops was still in the agendum. Using the model of A Series as an alpha project, DI-LAWS eventually instated the successor Æ series project, with a shift in staff- namely a different team leader, while Doctor Orvio Ake was still a contributor. To answer the questions raised with what was deemed as fallacies in the A Series project, Energy and Economics provided leeway regarding energy conservation, allowing the team to build fully armed models without the need to downsize the frames. Furthermore, the team found a loophole to circulate energy and avert the arbitrary Energy Constant. It was made clear early on that the performance of the Æ-series needed to have optimal performance to match high-level threats, particularly against the unpredictability of Shokujou beings. The recent near-annihilation of a dimension had called the attention of DI-LAWS, where it was consequently tied to the Angel Silhouette. The Æ-series would need to be able to monitor and answer to trans-dimensional anomalies, Angel or otherwise. The first line of robots would be provided an array of weaponry, similar to predecessors Ariel and Aya, with a number backed by the dimensional energy from their Zero Manipulators. Before the Æ project, DI-LAWS had built and deployed robots with advanced machinery, as repeated dimensional jumps had taxed heavily on organics or partial organics. By the Æ, they had yielded sufficient results in cloning organic, or organic-like (a mix of natural tissue and silicates), components hybridized with mechanical parts, resulting in further energy-efficient cyborgs with more fluid inner workings than past traditional androids, as well as brains that would hold better potential of working to DI-LAWS' ideals. The Æ robots stand as the first, so far only, known application of this shift in internal mechanics. The most visible exterior changes, however, from Orvio Ake's plans were the dismissal of cat-like ears and tails, with Ake's consent. However, he argued for the robots to maintain their sense of free-will, which in the end was agreed upon. Under these terms, the first six cyborgs, Æ-A through Æ-F, were made with advanced cyber-brains to provide natural personality, and Aethra Esparel was born, as Unit Æ-E. Early on, Aethra was an object of focus. It was feared by the science team that she would be too demure to carry out assignments properly, but eventually these fears were quelled as later testing proved that Aethra, in all of her determination and wit, had proved more than capable to do what she needed to. She was known to be calm and kind with her peers at the academy, and more resolute when the chips were down. Eventually, Aethra was granted the ''Shinespark. Over 160 years ago in dimension F91113-1020 , a destructive event of inter-dimensional nature and questionable origin forced DI-LAWS to cast its gaze, sending several agents and a hired PMC to investigate. At this time, Aethra established a close relationship with relative and fellow agent, Ariel. After the situation was averted, a number of DI-LAWS outposts were stationed, and speculation included the Shokujou. Roughly 50 years ago, a brush with an unidentified being believed to be in an Angel Silhouette form confirmed their existence, provoking DI-LAWS to deploy Aethra Esparel to the dimension to monitor activity. Around the time of her orders, Ariel had quit DI-LAWS, and upon request Aethra took it on herself to take Ariel with her to F91113-1020. After parting ways with Ariel for the time being and getting her bearings in the dimension, expecting to live here for as long as necessary, it was up to Aethra to preserve the truth of her being. Using her advanced hacking expertise, Aethra forged an alternate identity – her past, and her present. She took on the more ‘casual’ clothing, shifted the shape and pigments of her hair and eyes, and adopted the pseudonym “Emilie Archer”. With all of this, she took on a career in the media business, becoming an editor for Advent Sun News. From her position, she would be able to acquire all the information that she could need at a moment’s notice, choose those she needed to investigate personally and act accordingly in her visage, with an understanding from her staff. Relationships Ariel Bastet Aethra could be consider to be related "by blood" to the other DI-LAWS agents, be it as cousins (as Aethra puts it) or sisters (as Aya puts it), but she holds the closest of bonds to Ariel. They are mutual confidants and have acted like partners in the past. After leaving DI-LAWS, Ariel went with Aethra to Dimension F91113-1020, where while they do their own thing for the most part, they still keep in touch and meet occasionally on good, casual terms. While Ariel wants not to be involved in DI-LAWS affairs, Ariel and Aethra may team up or assist each other, under the agreement that Ariel stays off the record. Others? Category:Cyborgs Category:DI-LAWS Category:Female Characters